The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-12-14
THE ACCIDENT SEEKER.

a E'ltflNlN AiAttAA 49, ~
Forever houond let her be.
Ny mother-in-law.
THE ACCIDENT SEEKER.
II wa with anything but satisfaction 4
that | found myself compelled, few |
weeks ago 10 make night journey from 4
Skanesville 10 Newton Centres. The firm |
for which ! travel was bent on opening
ND new territory and had sent me out |
as a pioneer. skanesville had not devel- /
oped any considerable desire for our
goods. and, as lis alleged best " hotel Of |
fered most undesirable compound Of
bad food and worse beds, | determined
10 effect my escape as soon a. possible.
To call Skanesville a cross-road town
would be gross fiattery, for if there Is
such a term as "cross ten road town"
then Skanesyille is entitled 10 that desig-
nation. Il had been difficult place 10
get 20, but study Of railroad guides
showed it was even a more difficult place
10 leave This was probably the princi-
pal reason of the growth Of the town-a
fact on which the Skanesvillites were Civ
en- TO boasting. Two trains left this in
land paradise daily, at the convenient
hours Of 1880 p. m, and 4:25 a. m. To
yet 10 Newton Centres ! found ] should
have to change three times on the night
train and four on the early morning one.
As / had two heavy sample trunks, |
chose the former. All Skanesyille seem
ed 10 20 to bed at 8, 50, shortly after that
hour, went down to the depot, hoping
20 find the ticket agent little livelier
companion. In this | was disappointed,
as he combined the offices OF station mas
ter ticket seller and porter In the latter
capacity, he had shortly before wrestled
with my, trunks, and. when he unhap-
PLY recognized me as their proprietor, he
crushed severely all my attempts at ia
miliariiy So / sat and smoked, and
wake and smoked, till the train arrived,
which il naturally did about forty-fve
minutes late. A sleeping car was an un-
known luxury on that road, so had the
prospect of pleasant a. sit up" varied by
the numerous waits and changes in store
for me Fortunately, though the car was
pretty well filed, found two unoccupied
seats, and. having had one turned over, ]
proceeded TO make myself as comforta-
BILE as possible, and tried 10 catch nap.
NV comparative ease was short lived, for
at the next stopping place several people
got on board, and though pretended 10
be asleep, one unfeeling individual came
and sat himself on such portion of the
front seat as my feet left uncovered.
watched him through my almost closed
eyelids, and did not like his aspect
Something, did not quite know what,
gave his countenance sinister look. As
he had moved toward the seat, noticed
that he limped slightly in his walk.
There was certainly kind Of what the
Scotch term "uncanniness about him.
and after a few minutes took my feet
from the seat, pretended TO rouse up, and
mumbled word Of apology about hav-
ing taken up so much room. The strang-
er begged me not TO mention it, and sug-
gested that my feet did no; inconvenience
him. The steady glare with which he
seemed TO be regarding me soon became
80 unpleasant that proposed he should
have the seat turned over. and thus avoid
the disagreeableness Of sitting with his
back TO the locomotive
Il don't mind that a bit,n he said
a. besides it's more dangerous
More dangerous" ! repeated in aston
ishmeni
Yes; haven't YOU noticed that in the
siecpers they always make up the berth,
with the feet to the locomotive? That.
because if there's sndden jerk you art
thrown forward Now if your head.
against the forward petition, YOU proba
bly,, in case of accident, have your skull
split or break your neck
Then aren't you afraid Of sitting that
wayg7 asked.
mo, like it,
began 10 fear that had got into tn,
company of lunatic. ] knew there wa,
an asylum somewhere in the neighbor
hood This mans looks. particularly il
the one eye ON which the dim light of tn,
lamp fell, had that peculiar glitter whicl
had read was characteristic of the mad
man. And he never took that eve of
me-
j again nearly closed my ewes and pre-
tended to be trying 10 sleep, but ali tn,
time was keeping sharp look out les
he should develop any yiolen,tendencies
Soon the road bed began to get 5,
rough that succession of sharp Jerk
nearly threw me off the seat Pretens,
at sleep was no longer possible, SO sa
mp, rubbed my eyes and remarked:
This Is pretty rough road
You can bet it's about the worst
know in the whole country That's VIII,
I'm working it. But Charley Hicks i
driving tonight and he's 10 careful Pu
afraid there isn't any chance"
There was no longer any doubt that tn,
man Was mad ! glanced round the ca
20 So IL there was an anoocupied seat 4,
which could conveniently move. Their,
~as not. ! had heard il was always bes
10 humor maniacs. 80 ] thought woule
draw him out
II seems to me NJ il you wonldn'
mind being in an accident began.
Mind it that's what I'm looking for
DO you think ia ride ON this misers,bl,
road for anything else?"
WAS clearly in for il now. l mus
keep him talking and interested.
Why do you want an accident 81
asked expecting him 10 tell me how h.
loved 10 hear the timbers smashing. th,
glass splinterine. and fairly reveled ovel
the ssene Of horror and suffering.
live ON en- he calmly answered
but tins internal road seems 10 have